Job 14
1 Life is short and full of trouble,
“Man, born of woman! Of few days, and full of trouble!
2 like a flower that blooms and withers, like a passing shadow that soon disappears.
As a flower he has gone forth, and is cut off, And he flees as a shadow and does not stand.
3 Do you even notice me, God, and why do you have to drag me to court?
Also—on this You have opened Your eyes, and bring me into judgment with You.
4 Who can bring something clean of what is unclean? No one.
Who gives a clean thing out of an unclean? Not one.
5 You have determined how long we shall live—the number of months, a time limit on our lives.
If his days are determined, The number of his months [are] with You, You have made his limit, And he does not pass over;
6 So leave us alone and give us some peace—so like a laborer we could enjoy a few hours of rest at the end of the day.
Look away from off him that he may cease, Until he enjoy as a hired worker his day.
7 Even a tree that's cut down has the hope of sprouting again, of sending up shoots and continuing to live.
For there is hope for a tree, if it is cut down, That it changes again, That its tender branch does not cease.
8 Even though its roots grow old in the earth, and its stump dies in the ground,
If its root becomes old in the earth, And its stem dies in the dust,
9 just a trickle of water will make it bud and grow branches like a young plant.
From the fragrance of water it flourishes, And has made a crop as a plant.
10 But human beings die, their strength dwindles away; they perish, and where are they then?
And a man dies, and becomes weak, And man expires, and where [is] he?
11 Like water evaporating from a lake and a river that dries up and disappears,
Waters have gone away from a sea, And a river becomes waste and dry.
12 so human beings lie down and don't get up again. Until the heavens cease to exist they will not awake from their sleep.
And man has lain down, and does not rise, Until the wearing out of the heavens they do not awaken, Nor are roused from their sleep.
13 I wish you would hide me in Sheol; conceal me there until your anger is gone. Set a definite time for me there, and remember me! (Sheol h7585)
O that You would conceal me in Sheol, Hide me until the turning of Your anger, Set a limit for me, and remember me. (Sheol h7585)
14 Will the dead live again? Then I would have hope through all my time of trouble until my release comes.
If a man dies—does he revive? All [the] days of my warfare I wait, until my change comes.
15 You would call and I would answer you; you would long for me, the being that you made.
You call, and I answer You; To the work of Your hands You have desire.
16 Then you would look after me and wouldn't be watching me to see if I sinned.
But now, You number my steps, You do not watch over my sin.
17 My sins would be sealed up in a bag and you would cover my guilt.
My transgression [is] sealed up in a bag, and You sew up my iniquity.
18 But just as the mountains crumble and fall, and the rocks tumble down;
And yet, a falling mountain wastes away, and a rock is removed from its place.
19 as water wears away the stones, as floods wash away the soil, so you destroy the hope people have.
Waters have worn away stones, Their outpourings wash away the dust of earth, And You have destroyed the hope of man.
20 You continually overpower them and they pass away; you distort their faces in death and send them away.
You prevail [over] him forever, and he goes, He is changing his countenance, And You send him away.
21 Their children may become important or fall from their positions, but they don't know or see any of this.
His sons are honored, and he does not know; And they are little, and he does not attend to them.
22 As people die they only know their own pain and are sad for themselves.”
Only—his flesh is pained for him, And his soul mourns for him.”
